Where Do I Belong?
by Laqualassiel
Summary: Aiyanna Sun On Rivers feels out of place on the reservation. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she'd fit in at Hogwarts, and that her first friends would be identically redhaired and mischievous twins named Fred and George Weasley. But what's setting the teachers on edge, and why are they all watching Aiyanna? OC Warning. You don't like em? Deal with it and don't read
1. Prologue

To the normal person, Aiyanna Sun On Rivers was a normal ten-year-old girl living on the Indian reservation. She was a quiet girl, preferring to read during her free time than play a sport or engage in some other social activity, but all her teachers commented that the girl was by no means socially lacking. Aiyanna knew the social circles, and how to avoid the wrath of the bullies in her classes.

Even so, her teachers were concerned – even saddened by the fact that Aiyanna, a genius in her own right – indeed, she was at the top of her classes, and there were rumors that the teachers were thinking about moving her up a grade – had no friends. The children she was on good terms with weren't happy when they were put in a group with Aiyanna over their friends.

Not that Aiyanna ever complained. Never, not once, did the girl show any reaction that may have hinted that she was unhappy with her status at school. If anyone did ask her, Aiyanna simply replied that she hadn't found the right type of person to be her friend yet. She only smiled when asked what she looked for in such a friend.

She didn't talk much, even around her family. Her two cousins attributed the lack of words to the lack of a relationship between Aiyanna and the rest of the household. Aiyanna simply just didn't interact much with those around her. It wasn't that she couldn't, or that she was socially awkward – she'd had a conversation with her homeroom teacher that left the latter surprised by his student's intelligence and politeness – Aiyanna just didn't talk much. End of story.

That was the perspective of her teachers. Her peers saw Aiyanna in a different fashion. Those who didn't get along with Aiyanna could tell about Aiyanna's knack for sucking up to the teachers. She always knew the right answer, and was always asking about extra credit. The girl never got in trouble, no matter what. The kids who did get along with the girl whispered about how Aiyanna never got sick, even when everyone else in school was coughing around her. They also found it strange how animals reacted to the girl's presence. Dogs growled at her, or backed away in fear, while cats hissed and ran. Snakes and spiders on the other hand, loved her. She enjoyed feeding the class pet, a giant anaconda, and let the snake drape over her shoulders. This terrified the other kids. One of Aiyanna's classmates claimed she heard Aiyanna hissing to it, like it could understand her.

Aiyanna never paid attention to the gossiping of her classmates. She'd learned to ignore them years ago, and deemed learning the higher priority over trying to please the cliques. She rarely passed up an opportunity to learn something new. It was why she could never wait for summer to come. She could learn everything she put her interest to, at her pace. She didn't have to wait as the teacher went over the same fact or problem again and again because half the class didn't understand.

The downside to summer was that she had to spend more time around her family. She couldn't use the excuse of having homework or studying to do. It wasn't that she disliked her relatives, she loved them a lot. They just didn't understand her very much.

Her family was very religious, and went to church every Sunday. Aiyanna went along, had her first communion, was confirmed – her pastor thought her views on her faith were wise enough to allow her to become an adult member of the church a few years early – and prayed every day. Despite her strong Lutheran faith, Aiyanna kept a small pendant around her neck devoted to the old Native Indian spirits of her tribe. Her family asked her constantly if she really believed in God. When she affirmed her faith, they pestered her how that could be if she also believed in the old Spirits. Aiyanna never really answered their questions, much to their frustration.

Aiyanna felt out of place on the reservation. She couldn't explain why she felt that way, she just did. When the girls in her class were talking about this celebrity or boy, or new fashions, she felt uncomfortable. She couldn't relate much to the boys either, who often talked about sports and how annoying girls were. Aiyanna just wanted to get away from it all. She wanted to go somewhere where she could be understood.

Fortunately for her, she was about to get that wish.


	2. 1 Just a Regular Family Argument (Not)

"Aiyanna Rivers!" A little girl with reddish brown skin and long black hair looked up from where she was doing class work in the third row. She felt everyone's eyes on her, and wondered briefly what was going on. The teacher didn't look angry, just exasperated. When Aiyanna's gaze met the teacher's, the man told her, "Your aunt is here to pick you up. She's in the office."

Aiyanna was surprised. Her aunt never came to pick her up early from school. She'd never missed class, in fact, so why now? Around her, the kids rolled their eyes in disappointment. They were hoping Aiyanna was in trouble for once. Not that they weren't surprised. Aiyanna gathered her things, and exited the room, whispers following her.

Her aunt was waiting for her in the office, well, more like at the door. When she saw Aiyanna, she briskly began walking to the exit, letting Aiyanna run to catch up. The woman only slightly resembled Aiyanna, having the same skin color and black hair, but that could've been said for almost everyone living on the reservation. The two got into the woman's truck, a Ford, and drove off. "How was school?" The woman asked tersely.

"It was good." Aiyanna said quietly, not looking at her aunt. Her aunt merely nodded. Aiyanna sighed very quietly. She knew better than to ask questions when her aunt was upset like this. What ever had happened to get Aiyanna pulled out of school, she'd find out at home. The rest of the car ride – about a half hour – was silent.

Home for Aiyanna was a small patch of land with an equally small house on it. There was a small shed for the two cars, and their driveway was nothing more than a strip of dirt worn in between the brown grass lawn. The house, a small two story with a white porch and peeling gray siding, had small gardens on either side for vegetables, and a couple trees for apples. Her cousins, who normally would have been playing on the old swing set, were absent. Her great-aunt was also absent from her usual position in the ancient rocking chair on the porch where she wove baskets.

As she neared the porch, she could hear voices bickering. She recognized her uncle's, and great-aunt's, as well as her oldest cousin's. She paused. It was rare that the family argued, and Aiyanna had never heard her great-aunt raise her voice like that. Her aunt opened the door, and pushed Aiyanna inside.

Aiyanna dropped her backpack by the front door, and pulled off her shoes as her aunt went into the kitchen. The bickering didn't stop, nor did the voices lower in volume, even when Aiyanna slipped into the room.

Her great-aunt was already preparing for dinner, chopping vegetables and slicing meat with a large knife. While she focused on her task, she argued with Aiyanna's uncle, who sat at the table, in Ojibwe. Her cousin leaned against the wall, his dark eyes burning as he glared at his father. Aiyanna's younger cousins were not in the kitchen – she presumed they were upstairs, minding the two year old.

Aiyanna finally took notice of the stranger sitting across from her uncle. It was an elderly man, with pearly white hair and a beard that pooled in his lap. The girl stared for a moment. He wore a purple suit with a bright pink tie, and she could see what looked like a gold watch peeking out from under his sleeve. She met his eyes then, a piercing blue behind half moon spectacles. Those blue eyes scared her slightly. They seemed to be able to see right through her, like the man could read her mind. She refused to look away though. The man was too interesting to hide from.

"_I don't want to send Aiyanna away for God knows how long._" Her uncle was arguing. Her great-aunt calmly continued to cut a tomato. "_We don't even know what this school is like, and if he's any indication –_" He gestured at the visitor, " _– then I feel even less inclined to let her go!_"

"_Enough!_" Aiyanna's great-aunt commanded. Fixing her nephew with a stern gaze that made Aiyanna shiver, she told him sharply, "_I am tired of you and your family trying to stop Aiyanna from reaching her full potential! If Aiyanna wants to go to England for how many years, then it is _her_ choice!_"

"_England?_" Aiyanna asked her great-aunt. "_What about England?_"

The old woman sighed. "Let the man explain this to you." She put the chopped vegetable in a bowl, and started on an onion. Aiyanna turned to the man expectantly.

The man held out his hand. "Hello Miss Rivers. My name is Albus Dumbledore." Aiyanna shook his hand, allowing herself to briefly wonder about his name. "I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts. As you may have heard," his eyes flicked to her relatives, "I would like very much if you attended."

"Why me?" Aiyanna asked before she could stop herself. Her cousin smirked at the old man, but immediately stopped when her great-aunt sent him a withering look. "I mean, there must be a million other students in America."

Dumbledore looked at Aiyanna, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "Yes, but not everyone is as gifted as you are, young Aiyanna. Besides, your mother, Hantaywee Sun On Rivers, attended Hogwarts herself when she was a girl." Everyone but Dumbledore, Aiyanna, and her great-aunt stiffened at the mention of Aiyanna's mother.

But Aiyanna wasn't focusing on that little detail. "How am I gifted?" She asked suspiciously. If this was a trick, then this might be the question that threw him off. The man opened his mouth to answer, but Aiyanna's uncle cut him off.

"It doesn't matter." He snapped. "Aiyanna isn't going, and that's final."

Aiyanna ignored him, looking at Dumbledore so he could answer. Her green eyes met his blue, and stayed there as the old man simply said, "You are a witch, Aiyanna."

If anyone was expecting much of a reaction out of the girl, they were sorely disappointed. Aiyanna merely blinked, glanced at her great-aunt for a moment, and then replied with, "You mean a witch, as in I can perform magic?" Dumbledore nodded, and Aiyanna pressed, "And as Headmaster of Hogwarts, assuming it is a school of magic, that would make you a wizard, right?"

"Your assumptions are very much correct." Dumbledore confirmed. Aiyanna nodded.

Then she rounded on her aunt and uncle. "Were you ever going to tell me?" Her great-aunt snorted.

Her uncle glared at the old woman. "No. When my sister dropped you off, we'd hoped by raising you like a normal person would prevent any of this nonsense from appearing."

"_Are you that stupid?_" Aiyanna's great-aunt scathed, pointing the cleaver at her nephew. "_You can't prevent such magic. It's in Aiyanna's blood, and pretending it isn't there won't make it go away._"

"_She's not going._" He hissed back. "_I'm not going to pay for seven years of schooling, just for her to end up dead like Hantaywee!_"

"_You can't stop her!_" Great-aunt snapped. "_Aiyanna's been marked by the Great Wolf Spirit and the Great Eagle Spirit. You try to prevent her from going and I swear by the Great Mother, I will disown you._"

That shocked everyone – excluding Dumbledore – into silence. For Aiyanna's relatives, being very much Christian, to hear great-aunt speak of the old Spirits was scandalous. Aiyanna was shocked that her great-aunt was so invested in Aiyanna going to Hogwarts.

Aiyanna turned back to Dumbledore. "Where will I be staying in England, Professor?"

"I've made arrangements for you to live with Mrs. Delano." Professor Dumbledore said. "She isn't a witch, but she's fostered many witches and wizards while they have attended Hogwarts, and she is one of the only Muggles who knows so much about our world."

"Muggle?" Aiyanna asked.

"It is the wizarding term for non – wizards." Dumbledore explained. Aiyanna nodded. She wondered if there would be a way for her to read up on the wizarding world before she got to Hogwarts. She really didn't want to stand out.

She realized she missed the question. "Pardon?"

Dumbledore smiled softly. "When would you like to leave for England?" Aiyanna pondered for a moment.

"She can leave as soon as she's packed." Aiyanna's uncle snarled. As quick as a snake, Aiyanna's great-aunt hurled the knife she had just finished cleaning. It slammed into the table point first, half a centimeter away from her nephew's hand, quivering.

"Agreed." Great-aunt said. "Only so she can finally get away from you lot." His face flushed. The old woman snapped her fingers at Aiyanna's aunt. "Get over here and make dinner while I help Aiyanna pack." She snatched the knife and put it on the counter, before marching Aiyanna upstairs. Before exiting the kitchen, she snapped at the two men, "And I'll scalp you if you so much as mutter one more rude comment about Professor Dumbledore. He's a guest, and will be staying for dinner, whether you lot like or not." Aiyanna hid her grin with her hand as she ran upstairs.


End file.
